entrepreneurship : Innovation & Job News

MindShare, an invitation-only networking group for CEOs, VCs, bankers and marketers, welcomed its 18th class last night with a private event at the Verizon Center.

You may know Carla Valdes as the face behind Distilled Intelligence and her recently launched startup, Handpressions. You may not know, however, that she is a fan of Salt n Pepa.

The initiative provides grants from $25,000 to $250,000 to companies that relocate to a newly designated tech corridor along 7th Street NW.

CareLuLu, an online platform to help parents find childcare in the greater D.C. area, has launched a nationwide directory. The company plans to expand its service to other metro areas in the coming year.

DocDox, cloud-based software for managing handoffs in hospitals among and between teams, has launched at Howard University Hospital and has partnered with Connex International.

Starting this week, Elevation DC is reporting on the latest hiring news from growing D.C. companies. Want a job in #dctech? Check out open positions for engineers, project managers, social media pros, sales and more.

TEACH-NOW, an online teaching certification program based in the District, will graduate its second cohort of teachers this month. Founder and CEO Emily Feistritzer says the company will scale "at a fast clip."

Relay Foods is adding two new pickup locations every week, and they're still looking for additional staff. 

TechShop Arlington, a space for the maker in everyone, is slated to open March 29 and will hold an open house March 22.

Instacart, a same-day grocery shop-and-deliver service for D.C. and Arlington, will now offer goods from Whole Foods in addition to Harris Teeter. 

This week's #60SecondsWith Q&A is with 1776 cofounder Donna Harris. Find out what she enjoys when she's not jet-setting to Challenge Cup locations and listening to pitches.

Georgetown-based 1EQ has raised $1.1M and has pivoted to focus on new mothers-to-be. CEO Anish Sebastian and and CTO Tim Barnes fill us in.

Social Driver, a digital marketing agency in Penn Quarter, just hired four new team members and still has four more roles to fill. Cofounder Anthony Shop attributes the rise in business to his clients' "thirst for innovation."

Today we're launching a new series at Elevation DC called 60 Seconds With... (or, in Stephen Colbert terms, "Better Know a Founder"). Have you met Paul Singh? Next time you sit down to talk shop with him, have some chocolate chip cookies in hand.

Badges for the Challenge Festival, a week-long series of events surrounding the Global Challenge Cup Finals, have been released. Here's an overview of what to expect during D.C.'s week in the spotlight.